Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1887-03-24
SCORES OF VICTIMS.
Six Cars Crowded with People
Plunge Through Waduct
in Boston.
Flaws in the Iron Work the Cause
of the Appalling. Catas-
trophe.
Thirty Killed, Eight MOrtaliy Wounded,
and Upward OF Hundred
Injured.
IRoston snao,o,i


An accident which equals, il II does not sur
pass in number OF dead and wounded the re-
cent horrible railroad disaster near Hartford,
VI, occurred Monday morning in tho suburbs
OF Boston, on the Boston a. Providence Railroad
AS tho Dedham branch train, which leaves
Dedham ut :O5 a. m. and is due at Boston ut
i:lO IL. m, was passing over the Bussoy nrk
bridge, which crosses South street between
Forest Hill and Roslindale, about q mile from
six cars, heavily laden with human beings
plunged thirty feet TO the roadway beneath.
.ee lhree OF tne nine cars which composed tho
Train remained ON the embanknient, having
crossed tho bridge in safety, but they were
wrenched from the rails and nearly demol-
ished.
The train was one of the largest and heaviest
ON the morning list, and, as usual il was av-
lily loaded with people going to their work i'm the
CITY. III is wonder that any escaped alive,
and, MS it is, tho names OF the dead will number
Gt least twenty five. and perhaps more IL Is
impossible TO obtain an absolutely correct ac-
count OF the number injured, but it will reach
ia or more. OF these at least nine are fataIlv
and twenty-five quite badly hurt and the re-
mainder received only slight bruises.
Some OF the injured were at once convene to
their homes, others were taken TO hospi; ais,
while others still found temporary shelter in
the residences in the immediate neighborhood.
Some OF the dead-a ma iority OF them n fact
were brought to the city hospital morgue but
there We're others taken to the depots OF Roslin-
dale, Forest Hill, and Canterbury.
Conductor Tilden was in the third car, which
remained on top of the embankment, and ON the
ground directly underneath where he was stand
ing when killed is pool OF blood, while half OF
the debris of that coach is spattered with blood
That the horror of fire was not added to tho ter
rible disaster was due to the promptness with
which relief was sent. The chemical engine
from Roslindale was ut tho scene within twenty
minutes after tho wreck occurred, brought
by letter-carrier vino gave an alarm OF
hre upon observing flames issuing from the
debris. The flames We're extinguished,
and tho fircmen then did excellent work i'm res
cuing the injured. The stoves in all the cars
were securely fastened to the floors by iron
half a nNa6 Il OF
In only one car did the stoves upset, although
in one instance stove was smashed clear
through the roof of the car.
Tho scene directly after the accident was
heartrending. The shrieks OF the injured were
SO loud that they were heard in the residences
In the vicinity. The bodies Of the killed were
horribly manglod. in some instances their heads
Being entirely severed from their bodies and
many of the bodies were crushed almost be-
yond recognition. In one place seven bodies
taken out Of the wreck were placed in a row.
Rescue OF the Wounded.
The engine remained tho track and the
engineer not stopp ny to learn the extent OF the
disaster, proceeded to Forest Hill station,
whence he sent an alarm by telephone to tho
city. In short time corps of rescuers and
surgeons from the city were at the scene.
The only person known to have been an eve
witness OF tho disaster who was not on tho train
was j. II Lennon, fish dealer, whose stable
was ON the hill just above the bridge. Lennon
was horrOr-strcken when he saw tho train take
its awful plunge through the bridge. For a mo-
and then the cries of the injured were heard is.
suing from the debris Seizing an ak from
the barn Lennon started for the wreck
which he reached in n moment He
climbed into the window of one of the
coaches and set to work to release those
persohs who had been pinned down by the
broken timbers. Lennon with his AK released
four men who were badly hurt and handed
them out of the window to other men who had
come to the rescue. He also handed out the
dead bodies of two women, one OF whom was
nearly decapitated and had both arms severed
from her body During all this time Lennon
says, the shrieks of the wounded and the groans
OF the dying made q pandemonum around him
that was nothing short OF horrible.
In the meantime passengers from the coaches
who had remained ON top of the embankment
aad who had escaped serious injury, had joined
in the work Of rescue AS the dead were
moved they we're laid in rows ON the stone wall
while the wounded were laid ON cushions, which
were hastily gathered together Arrangements
were instantly made for tho disposal of both the
XII led and injured Ambulances and hacks hal
been sent from the city within half an hour after
the disaster had occurred, and as these convey.
anccs reached the scene they were at once
started back to the city, laden with dead
large number Of the injured were taken TO resi-
dences in the vicinity to be cared for while
others were sent to the depots at Forest Hill and